Quote Originally Posted by Accounting Troll
I like to hold on to somewhere easy to defend such as the British Isles or Denmark, and tech up so I can produce high valour units with gold armour and weapons upgrades, then I steamroller my way across Europe when the game reaches around 1350.
Hey, that sounds just like a carbon copy of my preferred tactics!

Applying the tips in the forum's guides section (initial blitzes) I try to build up a solid empire with easy defendable borders, and then I start teching up and fending off the incoming crusades (I tend to play the Eastern factions). Once I feel strong enough, I start moving through Europe.
I usually accept the lesser victory, if I ever get there.